Tim Drake Week Day 1: Firsts and Lasts
by Sohotthateveryonedied
Summary: My contribution for Tim Drake 2017! "The first time Tim told Stephanie he loved her, he was scared...The last time Tim told Stephanie he loved her, he was terrified." TimSteph firsts and lasts.


_(I decided to use both prompts for this day because why not. Also, just reminding you if you've read the comic that Tim obviously lives in the end, but like, he doesn't know that, so.) I own nothing!_

The first time Tim saw Stephanie, he was confused. He saw her as just a purple cloak and a masked face, nothing special at all. At first he thought she was a criminal, so he didn't like her very much. Or at all, really. He was planning on apprehending her and taking her to jail like all the other criminals. That is, until she hit him in the face with a brick and her hood fell to reveal that she was actually a teenage girl. An awfully pretty teenage girl. While Tim was down from the sudden attack, she got up and fled. Tim could have gone after her easily, but something froze him in place as he watched her escaping until she was out of sight. Since then, Tim couldn't stop the butterflies that arose in his stomach every time he thought of their first encounter, and how badly he wanted to meet her again. All he could think for a long time was, _Please, let me see her just one more time._

* * *

The first time Tim kissed Stephanie, it was different. He'd been kissed plenty of times before, and she probably had as well. But this particular kiss was… different. Unlike other kisses he'd given and received, something about kissing Steph felt special. It was like millions of fireworks going off in his brain at once, and billions of voices shouting at him simultaneously, _"Her! This is the one you've been looking for! You need to keep her forever!"_ And in that moment, Tim made the decision to listen.

* * *

The first time Tim told Stephanie he loved her, he was scared. His mind was full of uncertainty and contradicting thoughts going around and around in his head at a hundred miles an hour. Did she love him back? Was it too early to say it? Was he about to ruin their whole relationship? His mind raced back and forth between going through with it and not. It took days just for him to summon the courage to say the words.

They were sitting side by side on the edge of a building, looking out over Gotham and laughing together over simple things. The way Steph looked, the way her nose wrinkled when she laughed, the way her eyes shown with contentment, he couldn't stop the words from slipping past his lips of their own accords. "I love you, Steph." It took him a second to realize what he had said, and when he did, he felt absolutely terrified. What if he'd just made a huge mistake?

But Steph just grinned and pecked him on the lips. "I love you too," she replied easily, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The butterflies in Tim's stomach fluttered even more vigorously then, but this time in a good way.

* * *

The last time Tim kissed Stephanie, it wasn't very different from the many kisses they'd shared over the years. They were just about to split up to different parts of the city to protect it from the drones, and they were planning on seeing each other again in only a few hours. It was an ordinary goodbye kiss, nothing too special. It was rehearsed, something they did every day. "I'll see you in a bit," Tim said. He pulled Stephanie close and kissed her on the lips. It was barely three seconds, for they were pressed for time and didn't think it would be long before they saw each other later. Tim didn't know it would be their last, otherwise he never would have pulled away.

* * *

The last time Tim saw Stephanie, he knew what he was doing. He was standing alone on the top of the tall building, waiting for the drones to come for him. He looked over the edge, and by some generous stroke of luck, he saw her. She was racing through the streets toward where he was standing. She couldn't see him, but he could see her perfectly despite the distance. He'd memorized her image long ago, so spotting her in the dark streets was as easy as identifying his own reflection. He saw her purple cloak billowing behind her, the strands of blonde hair that swung loose from her hood, the fear plain on her face as she looked up at the top of the building on which he stood. Tim thought she was the most beautiful girl on the planet, and he loved her with every ounce of his being. It only made it that much harder to know that this would be his last glimpse of the girl he loved before meeting his fate. But in that moment, all Tim could think was, _Thank you for letting me see her just one last time._

* * *

The last time Tim told Stephanie he loved her, he was terrified. He knew what was going to happen. He knew what was coming for him, and he knew with certainty that this would be the last time he'd ever talk to her. It took all of his courage to do what he needed to do, to make the necessary sacrifice. It killed him to know how much his death would hurt her. He knew she loved him. He knew this would crush her. But he also knew this was their only option, and if he wanted to keep her safe, then he would have to muster the courage to do what needed to be done. So he spoke the words he'd said to her dozens of times before, but this time was much different from all the others, because he knew from the tightness in his chest and the burning in his eyes that it would be the last.

"I love you, Steph.

"Goodbye."


End file.
